Right after President Barack Obama is sworn in for his second term on Monday, January 21, the Inaugural Luncheon in the United State Capitol will take place. For the first time in modern history, the luncheon will feature New York wines: Tierce 2010 Dry Riesling from the Finger Lakes and Bedell 2009 Merlot from Long Island.

The Inaugural Luncheon is the ultimate power lunch in the world, with the President hosting his Cabinet, leaders of Congress, Supreme Court justices, diplomats, and others who wield global influence--and who will experience the fine wines and foods New York now produces.

"This is a major breakthrough for New York wines, and we are deeply grateful to Senator Charles Schumer for providing this opportunity," said Jim Trezise, President of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation which represents wineries statewide. "New York wines have experienced a revolution in quality and are wonderful accompaniments to food, so we're confident the guests will find much to like."

As Chairman of the Rules Committee, Senator Schumer is responsible for overseeing the inaugural festivities. As a loyal New Yorker very familiar with the quality of today's New York wines and foods, he made provisions to ensure they were an integral part of this historic luncheon. Accompanying the wines will be New York seafood, bison, apples, cheeses, honey and maple syrup.

Tierce: Three Vineyards, Three Winemakers, One Wine.

The Tierce 2010 Dry Riesling is a unique collaborative effort among three of New York's top winemakers: Peter Bell of Fox Run Vineyards, Johannes Reinhardt of Anthony Road Winery, and David Whiting of Red Newt cellars. All three wineries are on Seneca Lake but with different "terroir" in terms of their soil composition, climatic influence, and geographical features such as slope and distance from the deep lake.

Several years ago the three award-winning winemakers, who respect each others' talents, wondered if they could make a better wine together than any of them individually. In other words, could the whole be greater than the sum of its parts? So each year they make their own batches of dry Riesling and, when the three wines are ready, they get together on one day to taste dozens of different blends of the three wines until they arrive at the best. That wine is the Tierce of that year. "Tierce" means three, and the wine's back label reads, "Three vineyards, three winemakers, one wine."

Tierce is a limited production wine, with only about 300 cases made in a given year, and is sold exclusively through the three wineries. Over the years, different vintages of Tierce wines have won acclaim at international wine competitions, from major consumer wine magazines, and among wine writers. California wine writer and Riesling expert Dan Berger recently wrote in his newsletter, Vintage Experiences, that the 2008 Tierce "may be the best dry Riesling ever made in the United States."

"The Master of Merlot"

Many years ago, the Wine Spectator magazine ran a cover story with a photo of Kip Bedell, founder of Long Island's Bedell Cellars who was dubbed the "Master of Merlot" by the influential publication. While Kip Bedell is no longer involved, Bedell Cellars's reputation as a premier producer of great Merlot remains intact under the ownership of film executive Michael Lynne and the winemaking of Long Island veteran Richard Olsen-Harbich.

A Bedell Merlot or Merlot-based blend has won "Best Merlot in New York" or "Best Red in New York" five times at the New York Wine & Food Classic competition. Bedell was the first New York winery to recieve a 91-point rating by Wine Spectator for a red wine, the Merlot-based blend called "Musee", which also received the highest score (92) from James Suckling for an eastern red wine. Bedell is also the only winery on Long Island every named to the annual list of the world's Top 10 Hottest Small Brands by Wine Business Monthly.

Bedell's 33-year-old Merlot vines are also some of the oldest on Long Island, and the 2009 Merlot was aged for 10 months in older French barrels, creating a complex, soft, elegant wine ideal for accompanying foods.

The Tierce and Bedell Merlot are available through the wineries, with contact information below: